Chief Accountant at ICEA Lion Group

Job Summary

The role of the Chief Accountant is to manage, administer and coordinate accounting activities in the Reporting Section of the Finance Department and ensure financial regulatory compliance. The position is responsible for the production of management accounts, annual financial statements and as well as enforcement of financial controls. The position holder also ensures efficient and timely processing of work, maintaining acceptable standards of team discipline, job performance and productivity and is also involved in the preparation of Company budgets.

Roles And Responsibilities

Leadership

• Technical Lead for Company and Group financial & accounting matters.
• Putting in place and overseeing Section key financial controls.
• Development of team members through coaching and mentoring.

Accounting and Reporting

• Directly supervising the Assistant Manager, Reporting & Compliance and the Reporting Accountant to ensure that accounting transactions are correctly captured and maintained.
• Ensuring that the subsidiary ledgers are reconciled to the general ledger on a monthly basis and that all journals properly raised, authorized and posted.
• Producing monthly and quarterly management accounts and related business analysis coupled with the preparation of consolidated annual financial statements.
• Ensuring that all the accounting transactions for the branches are correctly captured and maintained; providing separate monthly accounts, annual budgets and quarterly business analysis.
• Ensuring that the company books are ready for audit within the set deadlines. Providing the necessary information for internal and external audits and conducting financial investigations as necessary.

Budgeting

• Working with Business Line Managers and the Finance Manager to prepare annual budgets for the Company including budget forecasts as may be required from time to time.
• Coordinate the receipt of various budget inputs from various teams including expenses, revenues, capital expenditure and operational budgets
• Analyze budget proposals received from various departments for reason ability and critique these as appropriate while adding value to the departmental budgeting process.

Statutory Compliance

• Supervise the work of the team responsible for tax compliance and ensure that taxes and tax returns are submitted to the authorities in a timely manner.
• Ensure that all other statutory obligations including IRA, RBA, PCF and UFAA payments and returns are adhered to.

Management reporting

• Coordinating the end of month process to ensure that all transactions are appropriately captured in the financial system.
• Responsible for the production of monthly management accounts, analyzing the reports ready for management presentation.
• Coordinating the Subsidiary and Associate entity reporting and production of monthly consolidated financial statements.
• Provide regular financial advice to Management on any changes that may be required on systems and procedures.

Fixed Assets Register

• Ensuring that a proper fixed assets register is maintained and that all assets are readily identifiable through a unique number for each asset.

Bank reconciliations

• Bank Reconciliations: Reviewing all the bank reconciliations for the company and ensuring outstanding reconciliation matters are resolved.

Staff and agent deductions

• Ensuring that records relating to staff and agent deductions are properly maintained and quarterly statements are maintained.

Other Responsibilities

• Preparing of annual audited accounts and consolidated financial statements.
• Supervising external and internal audit exercises and resolving any matters raised by auditors in conjunction with the Finance Manager.
• Provisioning of ad-hoc reports for various management evaluations and decision-making

Requirements Core Technical Competencies

• Bachelor of Commerce Accounting or business degree
• CPA (K) or ACCA professional qualification
• Member of ICPAK or a recognized accounting body
• At least seven (7) years of post-qualification experience with at least three (3) to four (4) years in a supervisory position
• Strong leadership skills that foster teamwork, staff development and motivation; adept at resolving conflicts and providing direction, guidance and vision to achieve organizational goals.
• Top of Form
• Bottom of Form
• Experience in change management and the ability to positively lead change.
• Experience in budgeting and financial planning.
• An in-depth understanding of International Financial Reporting Standards.
• Understanding of local regulations for IRA, CMA and RBA.
• Understanding of Kenyan tax regulations.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
• Well-developed Information Communication and Technology (ICT) skills with hands-on experience with computerized accounting applications.
• Strong communication and presentation skills including ability to develop proposals, concept papers, position papers as well as write reports and prepare relevant publications.
• Analytical and creative thinking skills.
• Strong persuasion and negotiation skills.
• Trustworthiness and discretion when handling confidential information